Customer Reviews

Love's First Bloom

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(23)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Bethany House sent me this complimentary copy to review for them.

"Ruth Livingstone's life changes drastically the day her father puts a young child in her arms and sends her to a small village in New Jersey under an assumed name. There Ruth pretends to be a widow and quietly secludes herself until her father is acquitted of a crime. But with the emergence of the penny press, the imagination of the reading public is stirred, and her father's trial stands center stage. Asher Tripp is the brash newspaperman who determines that this case is the event he can use to redeem himself as a journalist. Ruth finds solace tending a garden along the banks of the Toms River--a place where she can find a measure of peace in the midst of the sorrow that continues to build. It is also here that Asher Tripp finds a temporary residence, all in an attempt to discover if the lovely creature known as Widow Malloy is truly Ruth Livingstone, the woman every newspaper has been looking for. Love begins to slowly bloom...but is the affection they share strong enough to withstand the secrets that separate them?"

An average book. I felt bad for the main character as she was responsible for her father's decisions. A burden that was portrayed as heavy and not wanted throughout the majority of the story. A bit slow in the story telling department, but an easy read until the end. Not one of the greatest books I've read, but not one of the worst either.

Ruth Livingstone's father (who's a Reverend) was accused of murder and wasn't sure if he would be acquitted. So he gives Ruth a new identity, thrusts a child in her arms and sends her away. He tells her she's the only one he trusts to care for the child and that she must maintain her new identity no matter what. Then she meets Jake Spencer. A handsome man who is recovering from an injury and wanting a quiet place to do it. (or so he leads Ruth to believe). In reality he is trying to win his brothers favor by finding and writing an article for their newspaper on Ruth Livingstone. As they get to know each other they find a great attraction between them. But what about all the lies they've told to each other? Will Jake betray the girl he's come to love for the sake of his career? And can Ruth forgive Jake for his deceit?

I really enjoyed Love's First Bloom. I must say the cover is what drew me to want to read the book, it's beautiful. The story was a "easy" paced story. The topic of taking former prostitutes and helping them begin a new life with a family who was willing to take them in was very interesting. You'll find as you're reading along many questions pop up, but the author answers them all and brings everything to a wonderful and satisfying conclusion. I would consider this a light romance with some very touching moments. One line in the book that I really liked a lot was "There are no real coincidences in life for those with faith strong enough to recognize coincidences for what they really are: intricate pieces of the providential design God created for each of our lives." Be sure to read the note at the end about the Seashell. A thank you goes to Bethany House for providing me with this complimentary copy for my review.

I enjoyed reading this book very much. It held my interest to the end to see how God works in their individual lives. Life isn't always easy and sometimes hard to understand. I'm glad that "truth" prevailed in Ruth and Jake's lives.


This book was sent to me free of charge by Bethany House Publishers

This is the second book of Delia Parr's that I've had the opportunity to review. I love her writing style. I must say that I enjoyed this book from the cover picture to the very end. Having goose feathers as a weapon, using brooms to celebrate July 4th and an annoying pet turkey are a few examples of Mrs. Parr's creativity in her newest book, Love's First Bloom.

The story begins as Ruth's father places a baby in her arms with explicit instructions that she must change her identity and board the ship headed to a small community in New Jersey. Ruth must make some big, life-changing decisions and learn how to discern whom to trust. The two innocent victims of scandal, Ruth and the baby Lily, find refuge in the home of a kind, loving couple living near Toms River.

Ruth obediently and tirelessly cares for the child left in her care. Discouraged and grieving, she begins to seek God as she tends an abandoned garden at the banks of the river. She meets Jake Spencer, a man she believes to be injured and in need of her help. Ruth begins to trust Jake and wonders if he can help her protect Lily from harm. How will Ruth react when she discovers that Jake is actually one of the newspapermen intent upon marring her good name?

This book points out the dangers of media telling all and destroying innocent lives in the process. It is an easy and enjoyable read.

Thank you to Bethany House for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Love's First Bloom, by Delia Parr is a wonderful and engaging book about Ruth Livingston, the daughter of a preacher known for his penchant for helping prostitutes to start new lives. Ruth's life is changed when her father asks her to take the daughter of a now-dead prostitute and raise her as her own. The catch is that in order to be a part of her father's intricate relocation program, she has to pose as a former prostitute trying to start a new life. Her father matches her up with a wonderful family who calls her the Widow Malloy and pledges to keep her secret about her past as a prostitute. Little do they know she knows nothing of that life!

When Ruth's father is accused of a terrible crime, Ruth has to feign ignorance of her close familial relationship in order to maintain her guise. As she seeks comfort by tending a garden, she meets a man names Jake Spencer who fails to mention that he is a reporter on the hunt for Livingston's mysteriously-missing daughter. As Ruth begins to fall for Spencer and Spencer for Ruth, secrets abound.

I enjoyed this book immensely. Intrigue, romance, redemption, what more can you want? I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. I highly recommend it. In fact, I may go read it again!

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Bethany House Book Publishers.

Lies, murder and seclusion to a remote hiding place...not quite what you would expect from a novel titled, Love's First Bloom. Author Delia Parr weaves an intricate tale of heartbreak, loyalty and faith in her latest novel. I enjoyed the interplay of characters in this novel and the gentle hints of romance. Throughout the story I found myself guessing just how the tangled web of this tale would come undone...and I was pleasantly surprised how the author brought about the conclusion. I am giving this book 4 stars. I was given this copy for purpose of review from Bethany House Publishers, I am under no obligation to write a positive review

This is the second book I read from author Delia Parr. I read Heart's Awakening last year and enjoyed the story Parr crafted. Parr gets major points for following up her first book with a good second book.

Love's First Bloom is the story of Ruth Livingston, daughter of Reverend Livingstone. She is sent to New Jersey under an assumed name to raise a child who is not hers. Because of her father's case, the public clamors for information about her whereabouts, and one newspaperman, Jake Spencer, is determined to find her.

I think the best part of this book for me was Parr's exploration of clergy in the media's eye. Even though the book is set in 1800's, it has a very modern ring to it. It portrayed how cases are tried in the court of public opinion even back then. Parr did a great job of showing that the media doesn't always share the whole truth.

Ruth proves to be a great character. She is tough but tender towards her Lily. And the romance that develops between she and Jake provides the perfect balance for the tragedies that Ruth faces. Jake's drive to please his brother also adds to the emotional fabric of the story. As a reader, you feel torn between wanting Jake to be free from his brother's torment but realizing that the only way he will hurt Ruth if he does.

The pacing of the book is good and the plot was believable and enjoyable. I'm looking forward to Parr's next book.

Loves First Bloom

By Delia Parr


Ruth Livingston is given a child to raise and sent to a small town under an assumed name. She has a great burden to bear as she awaits the results of a murder trial involving her father. The trust her father has in her is great and she does not let him down. The burden is hard to bear and she seeks solace in tending a garden. It is there that she meets a man that both confuses her and also captivates her.

The story telling is very well done and it is an easy read. I enjoyed this book and would read it again.

Thank you to Bethany House for the free copy to review.

Ruth Livingstone's life is turned upside down when her father is falsely accused of murdering a prostitute. Her father gives her the deceased woman's child and sends her to a small town to stay with a family he knows. That family thinks Ruth is a former prostitute, but they allow the town to believe she is a widow, with a small child. Her only solace is tending a once abandoned garden.

Because of a mistake two years ago Asher "Jake" Tripp walked away from the "Galaxy", the newspaper he and his brother owned, the mistake he made almost caused the business to fail, but his brother Clifford had worked hard and the paper was once again thriving. Jake wants to return to the paper.Hoping to redeem himself in the eyes of his brother, he offers to take an assignment out of town, trying to track down Ruth Livingstone, who disappeared right before her fathers trial began. When he tracks Ruth to the town she is staying in, he takes residence as Jake Spenser, a handyman recovering from a broken back.

Ruth and Jack both have plenty of secrets, but once they meet, and share time together, love slowly blooms, will their secrets keep the two apart, or will love be able to work everything out?

For some reason I just didn't connect with this story, it actually took several weeks for me to read. I liked the historical aspect of the book, and while the storyline was ok, it just wasn't great. I couldn't really connect with any of the characters, I kept hoping we would get more of Ruth's back story, such as whether she left friends behind, or perhaps a boyfriend, she was in her twenties so she certainly must have had a life before she went into hiding with the child. This book was my first foray into reading anything written by Delia Parr, and while it didn't sweep me away, it wont dissuade me from reading more of her work.

rating 2.5/5

Ruth Livingstone (becomes Widow Malloy) is sent into hiding with a toddler named Lily, after Ruth's father, Reverend Livingstone, is charged with murdering a prostitute. Ruth must pretend that she sinned, yet is making her back into society. Hiding in a rural town, along the East Coast, Ruth begins to take solace in a garden that was once abandon.

She meets Jack Spencer (not his real name), who also has secrets of his own. Despite their own secrets, Ruth and Jack begin to fall in love.

FTC: Received a copy of the book through Bethany House.